Prevent license upgrade
Verified with Windows 11 25H2 — updated on July 30, 2026
Supported on: At least Windows Server 2003
Path in the GPO console
Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Remote Desktop Services\RD Licensing Description
This policy setting allows you to specify which version of Remote Desktop Services client access license (RDS CAL) a Remote Desktop Services license server will issue to clients connecting to RD Session Host servers running other Windows-based operating systems. A license server attempts to provide the most appropriate RDS or TS CAL for a connection. For example, a Windows Server 2008 license server will try to issue a Windows Server 2008 TS CAL for clients connecting to a terminal server running Windows Server 2008, and will try to issue a Windows Server 2003 TS CAL for clients connecting to a terminal server running Windows Server 2003. By default, if the most appropriate RDS CAL is not available for a connection, a Windows Server 2008 license server will issue a Windows Server 2008 TS CAL, if available, to the following: * A client connecting to a Windows Server 2003 terminal server * A client connecting to a Windows 2000 terminal server If you enable this policy setting, the license server will only issue a temporary RDS CAL to the client if an appropriate RDS CAL for the RD Session Host server is not available. If the client has already been issued a temporary RDS CAL and the temporary RDS CAL has expired, the client will not be able to connect to the RD Session Host server unless the RD Licensing grace period for the RD Session Host server has not expired. If you disable or do not configure this policy setting, the license server will exhibit the default behavior noted earlier.
Registry
Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Terminal Services Value name: fPreventLicenseUpgrade
Enabled: fPreventLicenseUpgrade = 1
Disabled: fPreventLicenseUpgrade = 0
MDM / Intune (CSP)
./Device/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/ADMX_TerminalServer/TS_PreventLicenseUpgrade Microsoft Learn documentation Mapping data: Microsoft Learn (CC BY 4.0)
Export Builder
BETAConfigure the state, scope and options, then generate .reg, PowerShell, Intune and SCCM outputs — or add the setting to a multi-setting collection.
These exports write the registry — this is not a managed GPO. ⓘ
.reg file
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
; Exported from gporais.com
; Policy: Prevent license upgrade
; State: Enabled
; Supported on: At least Windows Server 2003
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Terminal Services]
"fPreventLicenseUpgrade"=dword:00000001More formats (PowerShell, Intune, SCCM)
PowerShell
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Prevent license upgrade
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2003
$path = 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Terminal Services'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'fPreventLicenseUpgrade' -Value 1 -Type DWordIntune XML
OMA-URI: ./Device/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/ADMX_TerminalServer/TS_PreventLicenseUpgrade
Data type: String
Value:
<enabled/>Intune Remediation
# === Detection script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Prevent license upgrade
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2003
function Test-RegistryValue {
param(
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Path,
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Name,
[object]$Expected,
[ValidateSet('String', 'DWord', 'MultiString')][string]$Kind = 'String',
[switch]$Absent
)
try {
$item = Get-ItemProperty -LiteralPath $Path -Name $Name -ErrorAction Stop
} catch {
return $Absent.IsPresent
}
if ($Absent.IsPresent) { return $false }
$actual = $item.$Name
if ($Kind -eq 'DWord') { return ([int64]$actual) -eq ([int64]$Expected) }
if ($Kind -eq 'MultiString') {
$actualValues = @($actual)
$expectedValues = @($Expected)
if ($actualValues.Count -ne $expectedValues.Count) { return $false }
for ($i = 0; $i -lt $expectedValues.Count; $i++) {
if ([string]$actualValues[$i] -ne [string]$expectedValues[$i]) { return $false }
}
return $true
}
return [string]$actual -eq [string]$Expected
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Terminal Services' -Name 'fPreventLicenseUpgrade' -Expected 1 -Kind DWord)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Prevent license upgrade
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2003
$path = 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Terminal Services'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'fPreventLicenseUpgrade' -Value 1 -Type DWordSCCM scripts
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Prevent license upgrade
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2003
# SCCM Configuration Item guidance:
# Create a Configuration Item of type "Setting: Script".
# Discovery script: use the Detection script below.
# Remediation script: use the Remediation script below.
# Compliance rule: the Discovery script output equals 'Compliant'.
# === Detection script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Prevent license upgrade
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2003
function Test-RegistryValue {
param(
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Path,
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Name,
[object]$Expected,
[ValidateSet('String', 'DWord', 'MultiString')][string]$Kind = 'String',
[switch]$Absent
)
try {
$item = Get-ItemProperty -LiteralPath $Path -Name $Name -ErrorAction Stop
} catch {
return $Absent.IsPresent
}
if ($Absent.IsPresent) { return $false }
$actual = $item.$Name
if ($Kind -eq 'DWord') { return ([int64]$actual) -eq ([int64]$Expected) }
if ($Kind -eq 'MultiString') {
$actualValues = @($actual)
$expectedValues = @($Expected)
if ($actualValues.Count -ne $expectedValues.Count) { return $false }
for ($i = 0; $i -lt $expectedValues.Count; $i++) {
if ([string]$actualValues[$i] -ne [string]$expectedValues[$i]) { return $false }
}
return $true
}
return [string]$actual -eq [string]$Expected
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Terminal Services' -Name 'fPreventLicenseUpgrade' -Expected 1 -Kind DWord)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Prevent license upgrade
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2003
$path = 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Terminal Services'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'fPreventLicenseUpgrade' -Value 1 -Type DWordBuilding a multi-setting collection? Add this setting and generate combined .reg / PowerShell / GPO scripts.